Dark Star Pickups

adorshki · Dec 4, 2009

mgod said:
Jack's first SF had stock pickups and passive tone mods. The 2nd Starfire has an impedance dropping circuit after the pickups and passive tone circuits. According to RW, the first active circuit was done in m M-85, which was the impedance drop. The M-85 was done in between Jack's two Starfire mods.
DS

I wonder if Mr. Casady would remember what he was using during the "After Bathing at Baxter's" sessions, must have been late '67? That's where I first discovered him. I was aware there was something special going on in that instrumental jam, "Spare Chaynge" I think it is. It was the first time I became a fan of a bassist specifically and I've never forgotten him since. Phil's no slouch but Jack's style just resonates with my soul.
There's also a story in my home town of Saratoga (about 20 miles down the peninsula from Palo Alto) that Jack and Jorma used to hang out with a guy named Al Beilharz and even jammed informally in a little park next to a creek, down the hill from Al's. Any possible confirmation or perhaps just another one of those "wishful thinking" myths? Thanks MGOD!

mgod · Dec 5, 2009

I sent that on to Jack.

It was during the Baxter's sessions at RCA in Hollywood that Bob Hall brought him a Versatone to try out. He told me, "The first thing he did was turn it all the way up! I don't know why you'd do that, but as long as he bought it it was OK it me".

I'm not sure I remember clearly but the Guild may have made its appearance then too. By "Crown" its his sole instrument.

DS

PS - Jack's complete response to the above:

"Sir:

I used a 1965 Fender Jazz Bass for Baxter sessions.

Jack"

h60 · Dec 6, 2009

If memory serves me correctly, it was the alembic crew that added a second magnet to the Hagstrom Bi-Sonics to "Hot-Rod" them. Dark Stars come with 2 magnets (though I'm sure you could talk Fred into making a single mag set if you wanted).

Also, I belive Alembic had done a few Mods to a Jazz Bass Jack Casady was playing before the Starfire. At some point Rick Turner stared winding his own pickups as low impedence, but claims it was more to do with being tired of hand winding coils then aiming for low impedence. What I'd love to know is if Rick Turner had rewound any Bi-Sonics for Casady or Lesh.

Fred also had a post on the now defunked Dude Pit, that said he sent Jack one of his pickups which ended up in an Epi EB-0. Reportedly Mr. Casady was quite pleased with it.

mellowgerman · Dec 6, 2009

Here's that '65 jazz -- notice the p bass pickup in the neck position. Mr. Casady also used this bass guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival in the year of 1967 and can thus, upon logical deductions of syllogistic concepts, be seen and heard on the very videos thereof 8)

mgod · Dec 6, 2009

Alembic didn't exist until late 69. Before that it was just Bear trying out ideas, including on Jack's first brown Starfire.

Hagstrom used a 2nd magnet in the back pickup in the pre-Guild days, and by 1970 a lot of Guilds have double magnets in both pickups.

AFAIK, which is pretty far, RT never rewound pickups for Jack or Phil to lo-Z. But he has for me.

DS

fronobulax · Dec 7, 2009

mgod said:
Jack's complete response to the above

Thank you.

adorshki · Dec 7, 2009

fronobulax said:
mgod said:

Jack's complete response to the above

Click to expand...

Thank you.

Ditto here.

mellowgerman · Mar 31, 2010

Good quality demo clip for anyone who wants to know what DS's sound like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=debuRbwVM-U

adorshki · Mar 31, 2010

Hi Mellow: Thanks for the post and bumping this! It refreshed me and answered a couple of those questions I raised on your recent post of the JA 1967 rehearsals over in "From the Store" 8)

gilded · Mar 31, 2010

I've had a DS in an Ibanez Artcore bass and I have a '66 SF I with a Bisonic. I also have two original Hagstrom Bi-Sonics that I'm throwing in a JS bass someday, just for fun.

I understand about the opinion that DS pickups are harsher, but whatever they are, they are a great pickup. Here's a carefully un-researched opinion: sometimes modern pickups sound better in modern amps.

mellowgerman · Mar 31, 2010

gilded said:
I've had a DS in an Ibanez Artcore bass and I have a '66 SF I with a Bisonic. I also have two original Hagstrom Bi-Sonics that I'm throwing in a JS bass someday, just for fun.

I understand about the opinion that DS pickups are harsher, but whatever they are, they are a great pickup. Here's a carefully un-researched opinion: sometimes modern pickups sound better in modern amps.

that's a great point. when i still had my '66, I found that I did prefer Dark Star pickups through my newer Fender Bassman 1200 solid state... through the old '68 Guild thunderstar bass amp though, both the old bisonic and dark stars sounded excellent (though in their own ways of course).

mikko · Nov 22, 2010

mellowgerman said:
Here's that '65 jazz -- notice the p bass pickup in the neck position. Mr. Casady also used this bass guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival in the year of 1967 and can thus, upon logical deductions of syllogistic concepts, be seen and heard on the very videos thereof 8)

Mr. Casady obviously used Pyramid strings on his SF (http://www.pyramidstrings.com/art4.html), but what strings he used on his Fender Jazz? Would be nice to know how to get the J-bass sound good like he did. Would be also nice to know where that particular J-bass is today.

mgod · Nov 23, 2010

mikko said:
Mr. Casady obviously used Pyramid strings on his SF (http://www.pyramidstrings.com/art4.html), but what strings he used on his Fender Jazz? Would be nice to know how to get the J-bass sound good like he did.

Hit the strings like he did. Most of the way there.

mikko · Nov 24, 2010

mgod said:
Hit the strings like he did. Most of the way there.

You´re probably right. I need to revise my playing technique back to more aggressive. I´ve been trying to learn how NOT to hit strings for last ten years, after my I-want-to-play-like-Steve-Harris phase in 1990´s.

mgod · Nov 24, 2010

I think the best recording of that bass is "rejoyce". Its very clear and you can really hear his right hand technique, which becomes more dramatic when he moves to Guilds. Its almost like he's gently popping the strings.

Dark Star Pickups

adorshki

Reverential Member

mgod

Gone But Not Forgotten

h60

Junior Member

mellowgerman

Senior Member

mgod

Gone But Not Forgotten

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods

adorshki

Reverential Member

mellowgerman

Senior Member

adorshki

Reverential Member

gilded

Senior Member

mellowgerman

Senior Member

mikko

Junior Member

mgod

Gone But Not Forgotten

mikko

Junior Member

mgod

Gone But Not Forgotten